Raspy Al Roker breaks weather reporting record
His voice is shot.
He's tired, for sure.
But Al Roker seems pretty happy about his marathon victory. His weather marathon, that is. Or Rokerthon, as it was called.
Roker, NBC's veteran weather anchor, now holds the Guinness World Record for longest uninterrupted live weather report: 34 hours. It was made official Friday morning during Today.
"I don't feel that tired," he said once it was over. Roker beat a 33-hour record set in September by Norwegian TV personality Eli Kari Gjengedal. Roker raised $70,000 in donations for the USO.
Lots of celebs stopped by to help spur on Roker.
Vice President Joe Biden was among the well-wishers. He called in to Today to tell Roker, "You never cease to amaze me, man! All that money for the USO! Thanks, buddy!"
Roker thanked his team and Mother Nature. The polar vortex that has hit the country gave him much to talk about. During his marathon, which was streamed live online, he did nearly 300 live shots for different TV outlets around the world, as far away as Australia.
As for trying to break his own record next year? "I've done this once," he croaked. "That's it."
During the 9 a.m. hour, Roker sat in a lounge chair and chatted with Willie Geist, Tamron Hall and Natalie Morales before getting a massage.
Morales asked which was harder — a real marathon or Rokerthon?
"Both of them. At the very beginning you're thinking, 'What was I thinking?'"